Extended and Continuing Education Programs Collection

The California State University System was formally established in 1960 by the Donahoe Higher Education Act. It is the nation’s largest university system, with 23 campuses. The CSU is one of three public higher education systems in the state of California (the others are the University of California and the California Community College System). The System is the direct descendant of the California State Normal School (now, San Jose State University) established by the California Legislature on May 2, 1862. By 1895 there were four State Normal schools. In 1921, the schools were re-named the State Teacher’s Schools. In 1935 the colleges were re-named the California State Colleges and were run by the State Department of Education. With the California Master Plan for higher education was created along with the Donohue Act, the California State Colleges were placed under control of the CSC Board of Trustees. In 1972 the system was renamed the California State Colleges and Universities. The term "Colleges" was dropped in 1982.

Responsibility for the California State University is vested in the Board of Trustees, whose members are appointed by the Governor of the State of California. The Trustees appoint the Chancellor, who is the chief executive officer of the system, and the Presidents, who are the chief executive officers of their respective campuses. The Academic Senate of the California State University, made up of elected representatives of the faculty from each campus, recommends academic policy to the Board of Trustees through the Chancellor. Chancellors of the system include Buell Gallagher (1961-1962); Glenn S. Dumke (1962-1982); W. Ann Reynolds (1982-1990); Ellis E. McCune [Acting] (1990-1991); Barry Munitz (1991-1998); Charles B. Reed (1998-2012); Timothy White (2012-2021); Joseph I. Castro (2021-2022); Jolene Koester [Interim] (2022-2023); Mildred García (2023-present).

Early efforts at education in the California State College and University System for non-traditional students or programs were carried out through the office of Continuing Education (1963- ) which as later re-named Extended Education. These offices were within Academic Affairs. The Advisory Committee on Continuing Education functioned mostly during the 1970s.

In 1970 Chancellor Glenn Dumke gave a series of speeches outlining the "New Approaches" in education he thought the CSU should consider. One approach was the concept of the 1000 Mile Campus which had to do with off-campus centers and extended or continuing education. Along with creating a Dean for Continuing/Extended Education, Dumke created a Commission on External Degree Programs in 1971. This Commission was given the ability to circumvent normal channels of bureaucracy for campuses that wanted to create innovated or new programs. In 1977 the Commission was renamed the Commission on Extended Education and given a broader mandate. The Commission on Professional and Continuing Education (CPaCE) was originally established as the Commission on Extended Education in 1977 and was renamed in 1993 to the Commission on the Extended University. The provisions for the Commission were established in 2002 by Executive Order (EO) 811 by the Board of Trustees. These provisions were last updated in 2021 when the Commission was officially renamed to the Commission on Professional and Continuing Education. The Advisory Committee of the Consortium functioned throughout the 1970s and 1980s as a way for multiple campuses to mount programs in the external degree program.